From the July, 2007 issue of Stock Car Insider
There's a Tear in Budweiser's Beer
The biggest news in NASCAR this year, and perhaps since his late father passed away at Daytona, is Dale Earnhardt Jr's defection from Dale Earnhardt Inc. The biggest winners in this switch is of course Dale Earnhardt Jr and Hendrick Motorsports while the biggest loser is Budweiser!Dale Jr and Budweiser have been married together since Jr first made the jump to the Cup Series. No other sponsor has been able to brand a driver quite as effectively as Budweiser. Everything from Dale's hat, suit, car, undies and perhaps, yet unconfirmed, his pee is branded with Budweiser red. Millions have been spent and millions have been made on this famous partnership.
While it will certainly be a shock to fans and Jr himself to sport the colors and logos of another sponsor, Budweiser will be reeling. In terms of marketability, Dale Earnhardt Jr is ir-replaceable. There is simply no other driver in NASCAR who can keep pace with Jr's merchandise sales. And the potential replacement drivers DEI is considering, namely Kyle Busch, are at the bottom of the pole when it comes to marketability.
For one of the best sponors in NASCAR's sake, let's hope that Budweiser can somehow break from DEI and move to another popular driver. I think I hear Kasey Kahne's phone ringing right now!
| Shop NASCAR merchandise |
